"There's a ton of satisfaction," Serruto said. "You really don't know anything when you come out of high school and you get drafted, for me the 22nd round when there were 40.

"I learned the most my last two months in triple A. Shelly Duncan as my coach was incredible.'I learned from people who played the game and came a long way."

Serruto explained that job duties of a Bullpen Catcher, in addition to catching the pitchers and throwing with them, include putting together scouting reports and helping the team in any other way possible.

From day one back at age 6, catching was the position Serruto gravitated to. It was the only position he wanted to play. It was in his genes. Serruto's father Mark was a standout catcher at Millburn High in the mid-1970s and his mom's father Raymond Diehl, grandpa Ray, was also a catcher.

"I wanted to be involved in the game as much as I could," said Serruto, who will turn 25 on March 17. "I grew to love handling the pitching staff, doing the pitch calling and serving as a leader of the defense."

Although a devout Yankee fan growing up, the closest to a favorite Serruto player was Hall of Fame catcher Ivan "Pudge" Rodriguez, who starred many years for the Texas Rangers and Florida Marlins before playing briefly for the Yankees during the second half of the 2008 season. At age 8, Serruto went to Yankee Stadium to see Rodriguez play in person.

"That was the first glove I had, a 'Pudge' Rodriguez catcher's mitt," Serruto said. "I just loved watching the way he played catcher."

The bullpen area is a unique congregation of a baseball team's players during a game, away from the field in certain ballparks and distant from the dugout where the starters and backups reside.

Mike Harkey, in his second stint as a coach with the New York Yankees, has been the team's Pitching Coach since 2016 and the team's most prominent figure in the bullpen area.

"It can be a collection of different personalities," Serruto said of the pitchers in the bullpen. "Some guys are loose and some intense. You want to be able to get them to be in a great state of mind."

Right now, Serruto is not looking ahead. However, he does know one thing: "I want to be a baseball lifer," he said. "I just want to be where my feet are and to do my best and help the Yankees win a World Series championship."

Serruto reports to the Yankees' Spring Training site in Tampa, Fla. on Feb. 7. the rest of the team is scheduled to return there Feb. 11.

"This position I accepted of being a Yankee Bullpen Catcher is a dream come true," Serruto said. "Being in the Yankee organization the past couple of years has been incredible. They're my hometown team.

'I'm fired up, excited and ready to go."